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Advice on Managing Sickness Absence
This guide tries to answer some questions you might ask when an employee is absent from work due to sickness or unauthorised absence.
Rests and breaks
Employees are entitled to breaks for meals and to rest. As far as possible employers should provide breaks, facilities and comfortable surroundings for additional needs such as breastfeeding or expressing milk.
Agency worker
An agency worker is someone who is supplied by an employment business/agency to work for the hirer under a contract of employment or other such contract as agreed between the employment business/agency and the hirer.
Suspension
An employer may decide to suspend an employee temporarily from work if they are involved in a disciplinary situation, or for maternity or medical reasons. Usually an employee who is suspended is entitled to their normal pay during their suspension.
Contractor versus Employee versus Worker
Employees, workers and contractors have different rights and responsibilities.
Pension scheme trustees and directors of trustee companies
Employees who are trustees of an occupational pension scheme (as defined in Section 1 of the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993) or directors of trustee companies are entitled to reasonable time off with pay to carry out any of their trustee’s duties, or to receive training relevant to those duties.
Personal grievances
Grievances are concerns, problems or complaints that employees may raise with their employers.
Information on the Rights of Workers in Northern Ireland (Cantonese Translation)
Updated February 2016
Information on the Rights of Workers in Northern Ireland (Latvian Translation)
Updated February 2016